Lionel Messi and Brazil legend Jairzinho hold the record for the most goals scored at a men's World Cup finals without winning the Golden Boot, netting seven each. Messi achieved this in 2022, when Kylian Mbappé's hat-trick in the final took him to eight goals and the Golden Boot, while Messi's seven were not enough to surpass Gerd Müller's 10 in 1970. Jairzinho scored seven for Brazil in their 1970 title run, but Müller's 10 for third-placed West Germany claimed the award.
High Scorers Who Missed Out
In 1954, three players scored six goals each—Germany's Max Morlock, Austria's Erich Probst, and Switzerland's Josef Hügi—but finished five behind Hungary's Sándor Kocsis, who netted 11. Similarly, in 1958, Pelé and Helmut Rahn scored six each, but Just Fontaine's remarkable 13 goals secured the Golden Boot. The unluckiest may be Rob Rensenbrink, whose stoppage-time shot in the 1978 final hit the post; had it gone in, he would have won the Golden Boot with six goals to Mario Kempes's five and likely the World Cup.
In the women's game, Heidi Mohr scored seven for Germany in 1991 but was outdone by Michelle Akers-Stahl's 10. In 2007, Abby Wambach and Ragnhild Gulbrandsen scored six each, but Marta's seven won the award. In 2019, Alex Morgan and Ellen White both scored six, but Megan Rapinoe's three assists in fewer minutes gave her the Golden Boot.
Pointless World Cup Teams
El Salvador hold the unwanted record for most games without a point at the men's World Cup, losing all six of their matches across 1970 and 1982, with a goal difference of -21. Other teams with six pointless games include Haiti (1974, 2023), Iraq (1986, 2026), and Panama (2018, 2026). Teams with three pointless games include China (2002), Uzbekistan (2026), UAE (1990), Indonesia (1938), Togo (2006), and Jordan (2026).
In the women's World Cup, Haiti and Panama also failed to score a point in 2023, alongside debutants Vietnam. Equatorial Guinea (2011), Ivory Coast and Ecuador (both 2015) have also left without points, but no team has gone pointless in two appearances.
Biggest Debut Wins
Canada's 6-0 win over Qatar in 2026 was their first men's World Cup victory. However, Turkey's 7-0 win over South Korea in 1954 remains the biggest margin for a debut win. Italy's first World Cup match in 1934 saw a 7-1 victory over the USA. Russia, as an independent nation, defeated Cameroon 6-1 in 1994 for their first win.
